Refrigerator.



G. B. ROBIVSON'.

REFRIGERATOR- I APPLICATION FILED Aue.3o, 1918.

1,299,618, Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEET$-SHEET lfi o ig.1.

G. ROBlSON.

REFRIGERATOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG.30. ms.

1,299,618. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

. 2 SHEETS-$HEET 2- v 14 V ,j q-z M 23f M arm-M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

GEORGE B. ROBISON, or MOUNT VERNON, omo.

REFRIGERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 30, 1918, Serial No. 252.083.

which the following is a-specification.

. chamber will be employed within the walls This invention relates toan improved refrigerator and has as its primary ob ect to provide a construction wherein a vacuum of the device to prevent the transmission of heat through the said walls to thus prevent,

so far as possible, meltin of the ice within the refrigerator and maintain its interior effectually chilled.

The invention has as a further object to provide a CODStIlICtlOIl wherein the entire interior wall area of the refrigerator will be insulated with respect to the outer wall area of the device by an intervening vacuum space to thus reduce to a minimum the communication of heat to the interiorof the re.- frigerator.

The invention has as a further object to provide a refrigerator wherein the door thereof will be equipped with means for exhausting air from the vacuum chamber in the body of the device and so arranged that when the door is o ened and closed, in the normal use of the re igerator, air will be exhausted from the said chamber to thus maintain the partial vacuum therein.

A further object of the invention in this connection is to provide a gage for indicating the vacuum existing in the body vacuum chamber of the device, so that should the partial vacuum in such chamber become de stroyed, the door may be operated for reestablishing the partial vacuum in the said chamber.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a structure wherein the drain pipe employed for the ice tray of the refrigerator will serve to support the said tray within the device, as well as also. support the food trays employed and wherein the drain pipe will be trapped for thus trapping the air within the re igerator therein.-

Other and incidental objects will appea as the description proceeds. In the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved refrigerator,

. Patented A r. 8, 1919.-

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. '1 and looking in'the direction of the arrows, this view particularly showing the mounting .of thealr ump of the device and its connection with t e ref frigerator door,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view particularly illustrating the mounting of the trayswithin the refrigerator,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the ice tray in detail, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional 'view showing the air pump in detail.

In carrying the invention into effect I employ a preferably annular base 10 having spaced parallel walls 11 defining an inter mediate vacuum chamber 12 therebetween. At the outer edges of the wallsll the base is formed upon its upper side with an annular channel 13 from which extends an outwardly and downwardly inclined flange 14. Supporting the base and connected in any approved manner with said flange is a plurality of legs 15. Rested upon the base is a cylindrical refrigerator body 16 closed at its upper end, which is preferably dome shaped, and open at its lower end to fit at its bottom edge within the channel 13 of the base. Seated within said channel is a suitable gasket 16 receiving the bottom edge of the body and forming a sealed joint between the body and the base. Ifdesired, a plastic filler may insulate the entire area of the inner wallwith respect to the outer wall to thus reduce to a minimum the communication of heat to the interior of the body while the vacuum chamber 12'will minimize radiation of heat through the base 10 into the lower end of the body; -At one side the body is formed with a. preferably oblong door opening extending vertically o'f't'he body and normaclosing this opening is a transversely curve door 20.

v The door is also preferably closed.

a sleeve 28 andfitted through this drain pipe 29 throiighthe door. adjacent its'free edge and. 15

at its inner end is, as particularly shown in 2 of the drawings; equipped with an arm 27 adapted to engage the inner face of the refrigerator body for holding the door tightly I. Fitted upon the base 10 axially thereof is sleeve is a within the upstanding axially terminating at. its

refrigerator body and upper end in a plane above the door opening ,thereof. 'Adjustably supporting the dram pipe upon the sleeve is a collar 30 fixed to the I said pipe by a suitable set screw and, as will faces presented upwardly.

' drain pipe 29 and are clear, the trays may now be observed upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the drain pipe is formecb at its lowerend with a U-shaped trap 31. As will beclear, water flowing through the drain pipe will stand within the trap to thus trap the chilled air within the when the door 20 is closed. Detachably mounted upon the drain pipe within the refrigerator body is a plurality of vertically spaced food trays 32. Two such trays have been shown although it will, of course, be understood that these trays may be varied in number as found most desirable. The trays 32 are preferably annular in shape and may be pressed out from suitable sheet metal, being slightly dished and having their dished Axially thereof the trays are formed to slidably fit over the supported thereon for adjustment vertically of the pipe by collars 33 heldby suitableset screws. As will be be rotated. Rotatably mounted upon the drain pipe at its upper end is an annularice tray 34. This tray is also preferably dished somewhat, as in the instance of the trays 32 and may also be formed of suitable sheet metal. Axially thereof said tray is provided with a socket 35 removably fitting over the upper end of the drain pipe and communicating therewith. Conse quently, drippings from ice disposed upon the tray will be carried oil through the drain pipe. Since the ice tray is, as shown in Fig. 3, mounted above the door opening of the refrigerator body, the tray is. at the side thereof adjacent the door opening. provided with anotch or opening 36 through which a block of ice may be inserted into the tray.

' spherical valve tinuation thereof.

refrigerator body Formed on the periphery of the tray is an upstanding flange 37 Fig. 4 of the drawings, this flange extends around the opening 36, as illustrated at 38.

Suitably connected to the refrigerator body 16 adjacent the inner edge of the door 20 is a bracket 39 at the outer end of which is formed a pump cylinder 40. A ipe 41 connects the inner end of this cylinder with the designed, of course, to retain the ice upon the tray and, as shown m vacutun chamber 19 and interposedin this pipe is a checkvalve 42. Reciprocable with in the cylinder 40 is a pump piston 43 of a diameter substantially equal to that of the cylinder. At its inner end the piston is, as shown in detail in Fig. 5, provided with a semi-spherical valve chamber 44 from which leads a vent passage 45 extending; for the major portion of its length axially of the pis; ton and opening through one side thereof at a point beyond the outer end of the pump cylinder. Connected tothe inner end of the piston is a valve cage 46 formed with a semiseat 47 mating with the chamber 44 and provided with a vent passage 48. The cage 46. as will be seen, is in the nature of'a disk substantially equal in diameter to the diameterof the piston and forms a con- Detachably connecting said disk with the piston is a plurality of screws or other suitable fastening devices 49 and clamped between the disk and the piston is a cupped packing washer 50 engagmg the wall of the cylinder. Confined between the disk and the piston for free movement within the valve chamber 44, is a ball valve 51 movbracket 52 slidably receiving the outer extremity of the piston 43 and swingingly connected at one end to the outer end of said piston is a link 53. The opposite end of this link is swingingly connected to a bracket 54 fixed to the door 20 adjacent the inner edge thereof. Thus, it will be seen that when the door is opened, the piston 43 will be moved inwardly within the the valve 51 will he s lifted from its seat 47 so that the cylinderwill be vented through the passages 45 and 48 of the piston and valve cage respectively. On the other hand, when the door is again closed, to accordingly shift thepiston outwardly cylinder, the valve 51 will move to engage the seat 47 closing the passage 48 so that the said piston, in its outward movement within the pump cylinder, will create a suction therein tendin to unseat the check valve 42 and exhaust air from the vacuum chamber 19. The valve 42 will. of course, normally act to prevent the entrance of air into the said chamber.

' I accordingly provide an arrangement ump cylinder40 when within the pump wherein the operation of the refrigerator door, in the practical use of the device, will serve to exhaust from the vacuum chamber of the body of the refrigerator such air as may have found entrance into the said chamher so that a perfect vacuum may, as nearly as possible, be maintained in the chamber for thus effectually excluding heat from theinterior of the refrigerator. If desired, the

door may, of course, be opened and closed.

- frigerator body mounted thereon and formed with a door opening, a drain pipe upstanding within the refrigerator body, an ice tray mounted upon the said pipe above the door opening and communicating with the pipe,

the bottom wall of the tray being formed with an opening adjacent the door opening mally closing the body, and a pump operable by the door for exhausting air from the said chamber. A v

4. A refrigerator including a body provided with a vacuumchamber, a door normally closing the body, a pump cylinder mounted on the body and connected with said chamber, a' check valve in the connection between the pump cylinder and the chamber, a piston reciprocable in the cylinder and provided with a vent passage, a valve carried by the piston and movable to close communication between the cylinder and said passage, and an operative connection between the piston and the door.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE B. ROBISON. [1,. 5.] 

